Two men, Larry Darnell Bishop, 24, and Jerron Donald Harris, 29, were sentenced April 18 to life in prison, for the Dec. 25, 2012 killing of Victor McClinton. The two were convicted last year of first degree and attempted murder as well as the special circumstance allegation of murder during a drive-by shooting. Gang and gun allegations also were found to be true. The sentence carries no possibility of parole for either of the men.
McClinton, 49, was shot and killed outside his Pasadena home in the 1900 block of Newport Avenue. McClinton, a sheriff’s department technician, was an innocent bystander. He had been a married father of two who worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and founded the Brotherhood Community Youth Sports League in Pasadena. Thousands of family members attended a candle light vigil as well as his funeral in January of 2013, including then Sheriff Lee Baca who McClinton worked for. He was walking a friend on Christmas morning to his car when the shooting occurred.
“This is not a day to celebrate this is a tragedy on all counts,” said Danny Bakewell Sr., Chairman of Brotherhood Crusade and Executive Publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel the day Bishop and Harris were found guilty.
“Three families have been devastated by this senseless crime. The McClinton’s family without a doubt has been devastated, but the Harris and the Bishop families have been destroyed as well. I am just glad that this trial has come to an end so that [McClinton’s family] can move forward as best they can and turn the page on this horrific event.
“Victor built the Brotherhood Sports League and dedicated his life to providing young people with an alternative to this kind of lifestyle and it is terrible that his life was taken at such an early age, from the very lifestyle he was trying to give young people an alternative to.”
“During the trial, the defendants laughed throughout the four years plus of this procedure,” McClinton’s sister Velma told news reporters.
Jurors also convicted Harris of two counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, Risling said.
The special allegations made the defendants eligible for the death penalty, but prosecutors did not seek capital punishment in the case.
His family said supporters will continue the Sports League in his memory.